Sprucestar's Nine Lives
Sprucestar's Nine Lives is the time of Sprucestar gaining his nine lives and leader name. Nine Lives Spruceheart walked into the cave, looking around to thousands of glowing crystals, surrounding a glimmering pool. Is this what StarClan look's like? Spruceheart followed a small path through the crystals to a sandy patch near the edge of the water, and dipped his nose into the starry water. Mist swirled aroud him, and he opened his eyes to a lucious forest. Nine cats stood before him, some he knew and some he didn't. StarClan... Suddenly, a black-and-white she-cat walked over to him. "Spruceheart." She dipped her head. She looks like Moonshimmer. "Do you know who I am?" Spruceheart shook his head. "I am Jade, Moonshimmer's and Soulfang's mother. It is an honor to finally meet the tom my son entrusted with the new Clan awkening in the gorge." She smiled, a glint of curiousity in her eyes. "With this life I give you hope. Use it to lead your Clan through the roughest and easiest of times without doubt." She touched her nose to his forehead, and a spasm of shock and agony made him screech in pain. How in StarClan did Soulfang do this? Suddenly a vision came to him, fire around his clanmates, Cloud in the middle, three kits that were hard to see under her, and she was hissing in fury with his other Clanmates at a group of cats. Suddenly he came back to StarClan. "I wish you luck, Spruceheart," she whispered, before backing beside Moonshimmer. So she's here, too. He looked around to remember some of the cats. Toadkit... Cinderface... Then a large blue-gray tabby tom padded up to him. "With this life I give you loyalty. Use it to stay loyal to your Clan, not just yourself. Make sure you don't have pointless battles, either." He chuckled slightly before resting his nose on Spruceheart's head. Warmth flowed through him, and he felt the whole world at ease around him. Loyalty. He came back, and the tom backed away, brushing his pelt against Moonshimmer's.'' That's Hurricane! '' He saw the love in the two cat's eyes, and Toadkit hopped from under them. "Hi, Spruceheart!" she whispered excitedly. Then she spoke loudly and clearly, "With this life I give you humor. Use it to cheer your Clanmates up and keep the Clan happy!" Spruceheart purred as he dipped his broad head down for the she-kit to reach it, and a good feeling sparked in his paws. He saw memories of Cloud joking with him, Willowpool's herb jokes, and Soulfang's humor during the Clan meetings. He flashed back to StarClan. Moonshimmer was already walking up to him. "With this life I give you love. Use it to protect your Clan like a mother would for her kits, as you would for Cloud, as Cloud would for any of her kits." Moonshimmer touched her nose to his forehead as all the others, and anger pulsed through him. A flurry of claws sparked his vision, and hissing cats stood all around him. Cloud feels like this? He shuddered at the though of his soft-hearted mate fighting fiercly, losing an eye like he did, getting scars and scratches. No! Never. Moonshimmer backed away, smiling slightly. "Spruceheart, a fine, young tom." A light-gray she-cat with dark tabby stripes spread along her face walked up to him. "With this life I give you strength. Use it to lead your Clan into battle with the strength of lions. Any predator. Defend your Clan well, Spruceheart." She touched her nose to his head, and a vision came through him. He saw a large, tortoiseshell tom standing in front of him, showing his teeth. "I thought you loved me, Cinderface!" he wailed, reaching his large paw out to swipe his face. Im seeing out of Cinderface's eyes. I guess she was in love. "You betrayed me!" His paws suddenly sent a flurry of blows to the tom's face, knocking him down. He could tell from the swift movement Cinderface was very quick. He jumped on the tom, and stuck his claws through his throat easily. The tom went still.'' Strength, huh?'' He snapped back into reality. She dipped her head to him, knowing he saw what she had went through. He dipped his head back, understanding. A large blue-gray tom walked past Cinderface, brushing his fur through hers. They had the same eyes and nose. They must be littermates. "Spruceheart, with this life I give you nobility. No matter what anybody calls you, knows you as, never drop your gaze. Keep your head up, lead your Clan wisely." This must be Mistypool, the tom who complained over a she-cat name. He felt a strange sensation when Mistypool touched his head, and saw himself, head high as cats called him mouse-brain and fox-heart. "Spruceheart." He snapped back to StarClan, looking at Angelstorm gaze laying on him. "With this life I give you intellegence. Use this life to make reason with enemies and to choose smartly. Soon, more cats will rival against you, and I want you to be smart." She touched her nose to his, and the only thing he felt was nobility again. Strange, but oka-'' Then pain shocked through him. ''Ow! He closed his eye, clenching his teeth together, and the pain flowed away. Angelstorm dipped her head, backing up behind Soulfang. Willowpool walked up slowly. "It's wonderful to see Wound''heart again..." she whispered, sympathy and humor in her voice. "With this life I give you faith. Trust yourself and everyone else in your Clan, or else you aren't being faithful to yourself nor your Clan." She touched her head to his nose this time, and warmth spread through him. Everything was peaceful. "Good luck, Spruceheart." She walked away, disappearing behind the nine cats. Soulfang walked up, his pelt shining brightly. Spruceheart blinked."Soulfang, I thought you were alive?" He stammered. "I am, but I was called to StarClan in my dreams. I chose wisely, haven't I, Spruceheart?" he said, smiling. "I know you'll make a great leader. With this life I give you energy. Use it to lead your Clan in your weakest state possible." A large calico she-cat walked from behind him, and nodded to him. ''Is he giving me the lives of other cats that died? "I give you courage. Use it to trust yourself strongly. Don't ever loose faith in yourself." A small dark blue-gray, tabby tom walked from behind him, standing beside the calico. "I give you justice. Use it to get revenge on anything that is worthy of it." A large black tom with a blood-stained paw and a large hooked tooth padded up. All together, the five cats touched their noses to Spruceheart's muzzle, and he felt himself sprinting through rocks and trees. I feel like I could run like this forever... energy. At the same time he felt like nothing could stop him, and he felt the strange need of revenge. "We welcome you as leader of SoulClan, Sprucestar." Cats started yowling his name. "Sprucestar!" "Sprucestar! Sprucestar!" "Yay, Sprucestar!" Toadkit seemed most enthusiastic, jumping and shouting his new name. She would have made a fine warrior. "Return to your Clan, Sprucestar, they're waiting." Soulfang dipped his head in respect for the young leader, and Sprucestar nodded happily, waking up in the Cave of Stars. Leader of SoulClan. Maybe this won't be bad after all... He smiled. "I have a Clan, mate, and kits to get back to." He walked through the dirt path of crystal light, the moon making the large den dark as Sprucestar walked out. Trivia *Originally, Ashendust was the one who was supposed to give Sprucestar the life of strength, but Shannon decided Cinderface would be a better choice due to her lack of respect and strong feeling for fighting.